Best Schools in Nelson

How many schools are there in Nelson?

Nelson has 27 open schools: 17 state primary, 2 state secondary or all-through, 2 independent, 1 special and 5 others.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in Nelson are rated Outstanding?

5 schools in Nelson were rated Outstanding at their most recent graded Ofsted inspection: East Lancashire Learning Group, Barrowford St Thomas Church of England Primary School, Pendle Community High School & College, Walton Lane Nursery School and Whitefield Infant School and Nursery. Counting Good as well, 100% of the 23 graded schools here are rated Good or better. Ofsted stopped giving single-word overall grades in September 2024, so these are the grades from each school's last full inspection.

East Lancashire Learning GroupBarrowford St Thomas Church of England Primary SchoolPendle Community High School & CollegeWalton Lane Nursery SchoolWhitefield Infant School and Nursery

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in Nelson get the best GCSE results?

Of the 3 schools in Nelson with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at Pendle Vale College, with an Attainment 8 score of 41.8 and 28% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; Marsden Heights Community College, with an Attainment 8 score of 41.5 and 41% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and Pendle Community High School & College, with an Attainment 8 score of 0.3 and 0% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above. Progress 8, the DfE's value-added measure, was not published for 2026.

Pendle Vale CollegeMarsden Heights Community CollegePendle Community High School & College

Source: DfE school performance data

Which primary schools in Nelson have the best SATs results?

Of the 16 primary schools in Nelson with 2025 Key Stage 2 results, the highest shares of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading and maths were at Roughlee Church of England Primary School (100% in reading, 100% in maths); Holy Saviour Roman Catholic Primary School, Nelson (93% in reading, 96% in maths); and Barrowford St Thomas Church of England Primary School (100% in reading, 88% in maths). Small schools can swing a long way from one year to the next, because each pupil is a large share of the result.

Roughlee Church of England Primary SchoolHoly Saviour Roman Catholic Primary School, NelsonBarrowford St Thomas Church of England Primary School

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in Nelson?

No. None of the state secondary schools in Nelson selects pupils by ability, so every state secondary here is comprehensive.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Do schools in Nelson have catchment areas?

Most state schools in Nelson have no fixed catchment boundary. When a school is oversubscribed, Lancashire allocates places on its published criteria - usually looked-after children first, then siblings, then home-to-school distance - so the practical cut-off moves each year. Each school's page here shows an estimate of its catchment radius.

How do I apply for a school place in Nelson?

Apply to Lancashire through its coordinated admissions process, even for academies and faith schools. In England the closing date is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts. Independent schools run their own admissions, so apply to those directly.